The Namgyal Dynasty and the Mughal-Tibet Wars
The Namgyal dynasty
- Bhagan founded the Namgyal dynasty of Leh in the second half of the 15th century (dates given range from about 1460 to 1470). "Namgyal" means "victorious".
- The dynasty ruled Ladakh until the Dogra conquest of 1834.
| King | Period | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Bhagan | 15th century | Founder. |
| Tashi Namgyal | 16th century | Expanded Ladakh. |
| Sengge Namgyal | 1616 to 1642 | Greatest king, "the Lion". Built Leh Palace and Hemis. Fought Baltistan, Guge and Spiti. |
| Deldan Namgyal | 1642 to 1694 | Faced the war with Tibet (1679 to 1684). |
Sengge Namgyal's works
- Leh Palace (Lachen Palkhar), a nine-storey royal palace above Leh town (17th century).
- Hemis Monastery, built about 1630 by Stagsang Raspa with the king's support. It holds the Hemis festival (Tsechu) in June or July.
The Tibet-Ladakh-Mughal conflict
- Ladakh came under loose Mughal influence in the 17th century. Deldan Namgyal built the Jama Masjid of Leh, a sign of the connection with the Mughals.
- In 1679 to 1684 Ladakh fought Tibet (the Dalai Lama's government). The Mughal governor of Kashmir helped Ladakh.
- The Treaty of Tingmosgang (1684) ended the war and fixed the Ladakh-Tibet boundary. Ladakh promised annual trade missions (Lopchak) to Lhasa and gave Tibet the right to buy pashmina wool.
Main monasteries
| Monastery | Place | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Hemis | Near Leh | Biggest and richest; festival of Hemis Tsechu |
| Thiksey | Near Leh | 12-storey, looks like a small Potala |
| Lamayuru | Kargil/Leh road | One of the oldest |
| Alchi | Indus valley | Famous wall paintings |
| Spituk, Likir, Diskit, Phyang, Matho | Ladakh | Important gompas |
Keep practising
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Prepared for exam revision from standard sources, official publications and the Census. Figures and recent developments change, so check official sources before relying on them. Found a mistake? Tell us.